1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to circuit interrupters and more particularly to enclosed circuit interrupters having an externally operable mechanism.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In industrial and commercial environments it is often desirable to provide a circuit breaker mounted in a metal cabinet or enclosure having an openable cover. Operation of the circuit breaker with the cover closed requires an external operating member mounted on or extending through to the outside of the housing. It is desirable to provide as a safety feature means to prevent opening of the cover when the circuit breaker is in an "ON" position. Various mechanisms providing this feature have been employed in the past, for instance those described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,259,705 issued to Gerald J. Freese and William W. Hamilton, Jr. and U.S. Pat. No. 3,358,094 issued to Robert P. Netz. Both of the above mentioned U.S. patents are assigned to the assignee of the present application. It is desirable to provide an improved control device comprising a circuit interrupter enclosed in a cabinet, a compact externally operable mechanism, and means to prevent opening of the enclosure cover when the circuit breaker is in the "ON" position.